Compressor or vacuum pump



R. N. TRANE.

COMPRESSOR 0R VACUUM PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1920.

1,18,040. Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET A TTORNEYS R. N. TRANE.

COMPRESSOR OR VACUUM PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1920 1,418,040, ted May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEEL 2.

A TTORNEVS EEUBEN N. TRANE, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN.

COMPRESSOR OR VACUUM PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 30,1922.

Application filed June 7, 1920. Serial No. 387,232.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-REUBEN N. TRANE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of La Crosse, in the county of La Crosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Compressors or Vacuum Pumps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in devices which can be used either as compressors or vacuum pumps, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the type'described, in which air is drawn into a. casing by means of an im"-' peller, and is forced therefrom through an outlet in a compressed condition, through the medium of a liquid, such as water.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described having a casing and in which the air is forced.

into a body of water, which body of water automatically maintains the proper amount of water within the casing required for the most efficient worki r g of the pump or comressor.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features 'of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invent-ion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the device,

Figure 2 is a plan-view, the tank and its connection being omitted,

Figure 3 is a section substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a detailed view showing the arrangement of the propeller blades, and

Figure 5 is a section along the line 55 of Figure 3.

In carrying out my-invention, I provide a casing consisting of a body portion 1 having a. laterally projecting flange 2, on one side, and an integral bearing portion 3 secured to the casing'on the opposite side. The casing 1 is of the shape best shown in Figure 3. Extending through the bearing 3 is a shaft 4:, the space 5 between the shaft and the bearing 3 being utilized as a packing gland. To this end brackets 6 (see Figure 2) are provided on each side of the bearing. Bolts 7 are used to tighten a movable head 8 to compress the packin so as to prevent leakage. The inner wal of the casing 1 is provided with concentric partition 9 which projects inwardly, and which is provided with an opening 10, as shown in Figure 3.

Rigidly mounted on the shaft 4 is the impeller. This consists of a hub 11. spokes 12, an integral rim 13, and laterally extending integral blades 14 on each side of the rim. It will be noted that the concentric partition -9 lies immediately inside of the inner edges of the blades 14, thereby sealing the. spaces between the blades from the interior. A cap or cover portion 15 is provided which is bolted to the flan e 2 by bolts 16..

The cap has an outlet 17 w ich is connected by piping 18 with the bottom of a tank 19. The latteris designed to be partially filled with water 20, or other suitable liquid. The cap 15 has a concentric partition 9 which projects inwardly to form,-with the concentric partition 9, a chamber, whose purpose will be explained later. The partition 9 is disposed similarly to the partition 9 in that it lies immediately adjacent to the inner edges of the blades 14 and provides a seal between the inner chamber and the spaces between the blades.

The partition 9 is also provided with an opening (not shown) which is similar to the opening 10 of the partition 9' and which is disposed in the same relative position.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. When the device is started, the water or liquid in the tank 20 entirely fills the body of the casing. The shaft 4 is driven by any suitable means in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3. The water is thrown outwardly and spins in two bodies, one hugging the casing 1 andthe other the inside of the partitions 9 and 9'. The amount of the water in the outer passage is controlled by the re stricted area 22, fitting closely entirely around the blades and rim 14.-131 1 so that the amount of liquid in the outer channel is substantially'equal to the space between the blades. Water leavin the pas- .sage 22 and entering the inlet 0 amber X tends to hug the casin and at 23 immedi ately adjacent to the in et 21 the water, leaving the blades at high velocity, allows a void space 25 (see Figures 3 and 5) adjacent to the rim 13 through which the air in the inlet 21 can pass from on top of the water to the bottom of the water, and thereby have access to the space between the blades and the space 25. The waterat X, passing on to the. point 26, traps the air within the blades and gradually forces all the air out of the blades and through the openings 10 of the partitions 9 and 9, because of the eccentric shape of the outer casing, and where air and any excess of Water can pass, into the opening 10.

. At the point 10 a small amount of liquid passes below, and, due to the velocity of the water and the action of the inner blades, spins around against the inside of the partition 9, thereby effecting a more perfect seal against leakage of entrained gas Within the blades in the outer chamber. The air passes through the pipe 18 into the chamber 19 under pressure. This pressure may amount to twenty pounds, more or less, depending upon the size of the pump. If a pipe is attached to the inlet 21, air may be drawn through this pipe out of any source, so that the device may act simultaneously as a vacuum pump and a compressor.

One advantage of this device is that it keeps a supply of water or other liquid medium within the casing automatically, and thus obviates the necessity of injecting water into the casing in the manner necessitated by other pumps of this type.

I claim:

1. In a. compressor or vacuum pum a casing provided with an air inlet and aving a single outlet, a tank containing a liquid disposed above the outlet and having free communication with the interior of the casing through said outlet, whereby the interior of the casing at all times contains liquid. and means within the casing for entraining air and for forcing it into the tank containing the liquid.

2. In a compressor or vaccum pump, a casing provided with an air inlet and having a single outlet, a tank containing a liquid disposed above the outlet and having free communication with the interior of the casing through said outlet, whereby the interior of the casing at all times contains liquid, and means within the casing for entraining air and for forcing it into the tank containing the liquid, said last named means comprising an impeller rotatably disposed within the casing and having blades on its periphery.

3. In a compressor or vacuum pump, a casing. provided with an air inlet and having a single outlet, a tank containing a liquid disposed above the outlet and having free communication with the interior of the casing through said outlet, whereby the interior of the casing at all times contains liquid, and means within the casing for entraining air and for forcing it into the tank containing the liquid, said last named means comprising an impeller rotatably' disposed within the casing and halving blades on its periphery, said impeller being located eccentrically with respect to the casing.

4. In a compressor or vacuum pump, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, an impeller rotatably disposed within the casing eccentrically with respect to the Walls thereof, said impeller having peripheral blades, an interior chamber Within the casing communicating with the interior of the main casing, the walls of the inner chamber being concentric with respect to the axis of the impeller, a tank disposed above the level of the outlet and communicating therewith, and a liquid disposed within the tank and having free communication with the interior of the inner chamber through the outlet.

5. In a compressor or vacuum pump, a casing havinga substantially cylindrical portion and an extension on one side thereof, an air inlet communicating with said extension, an out-let, an impeller wheel disposed within the casing eccentrically with respect to the inner wall thereof, said impeller having radial spokes, laterally extending blades on each side of said spokes at the periphery of the Wheel, an inner chamber communicating with the interior of the main casing, said inner chamber halving circular shaped walls, a tank disposed above the level of the outlet and communicating therewith, and a fluid within the tank having free access into the interior of the inner chamber through the outlet.

6. In a compressor or vacuum pump, a casing having an extension on one side thereof, an air inlet communicating with said extension, an outlet, an impeller wheel rotatably disposed within the casing and eccentrically with respect to the walls thereof, said wheel having a hub, a drive shaft for said hub extending through the casing wall, centrally arranged spokes secured to said hub, a rim carried by the spokes, laterally projecting blades carried by the rim near the periphery of the wheel, said blades being radially disposed with respect to the axis of the drive shaft, circular partitions pro jecting inwardly from the walls of the casing toward the impeller wheel, said partitions forming an inner chamber communicating with the interior of the main casing, a tank disposed above the level of the outlet, a pipe establishing communication between the tank and the outlet, and a liquid disposed in the tank and having free access nto the interior of the inner chamber ,hrough the outlet.

REUBEN N. TRANE. 

